Marrying My Bestie's Ferocious Brother - He Calls Me His Baby!-Chapter 16: Living Yama? More Like the King of Hard Work!

Chapter 16: Chapter 16: Living Yama? More Like the King of Hard Work!

Gu Yanshen’s gaze swept over the pile of sturdy wooden planks and green bricks in the courtyard, finally fixing on Lin Wanyi’s face, which was dust-streaked but smiling like a cat that had stolen cream.

Beside him, Li Yingzhang saw Gu Yanshen and squeezed a sincere smile from his tanned face, rubbing his hands a bit awkwardly: "Mr. Gu, you’re back! Your wife said she wanted to tidy up the house, so I... I just brought over some materials we weren’t using at home."

Lin Wanyi stepped forward naturally and stood beside Gu Yanshen, her petite figure creating an oddly harmonious effect next to his tall frame.

"Brother Li, thank you so much for today. Next time, I’ll have Old Gu bring some wine to your house as a thank you!" Her voice was crisp, and every word smoothly arranged Gu Yanshen’s responsibilities.

"No need, no need!" Li Yingzhang waved his hands repeatedly, glancing at Gu Yanshen, and after receiving a nod of approval, retreated as if granted a great pardon.

With the courtyard gate closed, it again became their own private kingdom.

"What are you standing around for?" Lin Wanyi nudged the man’s arm gently with her elbow, chin gesturing to the blueprints on the ground. "The chief designer’s plans are all drawn up, aren’t you going to listen to orders, construction team leader?"

Gu Yanshen looked down at the ground.

On a patch of neatly swept dirt, a piece of black charcoal had been used to draw a few wobbly yet distinctly planned lines. Where the partitions were, where the bed needed to be widened, where the shelves needed to be nailed were all clearly marked.

He remained silent for a few seconds, asking nothing. He neither asked where she got the nerve to order around a regiment commander nor inquired what she traded to get those materials.

He just took off his neatly pressed uniform jacket, draping it tidily over a nearby chair, then rolled up the sleeves of his white shirt, revealing two forearms with smooth, explosively powerful muscles.

"What do we start with?" he asked, in a low voice.

Action always came faster than words.

Lin Wanyi’s smile broadened. She picked up a twig, pointing at the ground like a queen toward her blueprint: "Step one, saw these boards to the sizes I drew, and we’ll set up the framework for the partitions!"

"Okay."

One word, without any hesitation.

Gu Yanshen found a rusted saw from a corner, lifted the heaviest beam of wood, stabilized it with his foot, bent down, and began pulling the saw, muscles taut.

"Creak—creak—"

The harsh sound of sawing quickly echoed in the quiet courtyard.

Lin Wanyi didn’t remain idle; she found a ruler and chalk, marking on the walls as he sawed the planks.

One acted, the other directed; one was strong, the other quick-witted. A peculiar yet efficient synergy formed between them.

The commotion was so great that soon a group of curious military wives, including Li Xiujuan, gathered at the courtyard gate, peeking in.

Their expressions transformed from initial curiosity to shock and finally to utter disbelief.

The Mr. Gu, known for silencing children with his mere presence at the military district, was at the moment sweating profusely doing manual labor. His white shirt plastered to his body with sweat, outlining the contours of his broad back muscles. And that delicate city wife of his, who seemed unable to even open a bottle of water, stood with arms akimbo, giving orders unapologetically.

"Hey, it’s crooked! Make it a bit higher on the left side!"

"Yes, that’s the spot. Nail it there!"

"Gu Yanshen, can’t you use a bit more force? You’re bending the nails!"

Her clear commands were met with silent, swift execution by the man.

Li Xiujuan covered her mouth, barely believing her eyes. Was this still the living Yama who could silence an entire room of commanders with a single glance during meetings? It looked more like... someone completely under his wife’s thumb!

The midday sun was quite fierce.

Gu Yanshen had just erected a partition pillar when sweat dripped from his sharply defined visage onto the dusty ground.

Lin Wanyi walked over with a bowl of water, into which she had secretly added a bit of spiritual spring water.

"Here, have some water, take a break."

She handed the bowl over.

Gu Yanshen reached out to take it, but Lin Wanyi, with a flick of her wrist, avoided his hand.

Under the envious or jealous eyes of the onlookers outside the courtyard, she reached out a hand and used her sleeve to naturally wipe away a streak of dust from the man’s cheek.

"Look at you, all dirty like a big tabby cat." Her tone was reproachful, but her actions were intimately seamless.

Gu Yanshen’s body tensed instantly, a wave of heat rushing from his neck to the top of his head, his ears turning visibly red.

His Adam’s apple moved slightly, but he didn’t shy away.

Only then did Lin Wanyi satisfactorily bring the water bowl to his lips.

He drank the entire bowl clean, tilting his head slightly.

"Thud!" A light sound came from outside the courtyard, as if someone had stumbled and hit the door panel.

By the time Gu Yanshen finished drinking, the courtyard outside was deserted; the nosy neighbors seemed to have been scared away by the overly charged scene.

In one afternoon, with their efficient collaboration, an old, broken house underwent a miraculous transformation.

A decent wooden partition separated the bed from the outer living area; though simple, it created a private space. The narrow wooden bed was dismantled and reassembled, reinforced with new, thick planks to become a "luxurious" large bed that could easily fit three people rolling around.

As night fell, the dim light bulb inside shone warmly.

Gu Yanshen sat by the table, looking at the transformed room, then at the plate of freshly cooked green vegetables and a bowl of fragrant white rice on the table, a hint of disbelief in his eyes.

He was more exhausted from today’s work than he would be after a full day of training. Every muscle in his back, shoulders, and arms screamed with fatigue.

After finishing dinner and tidying up, Lin Wanyi saw him quietly rotating his shoulder, a barely noticeable frown on his brow.

She turned, retrieved a small glass medicine bottle from her luggage.

Walking behind him, she placed the bottle on the table with a crisp sound.

Gu Yanshen turned to see the familiar bottle.

Lin Wanyi crossed her arms, looking down at him with a lifted chin, issuing a command in an unquestionable tone.

"Take your shirt off."

The man’s large body visibly stiffened, his gaze filled with confusion as he looked at her.

"What are you looking at?" Lin Wanyi raised an eyebrow, "This is your reward for doing well today. The chief designer herself will give you a ’massage’ to relax those muscles."

While she spoke words he didn’t quite understand, she effortlessly unscrewed the bottle cap, letting a fragrance of light alcohol and herbal freshness waft out.

"This is great for promoting circulation and dealing with your kind of muscle strain." She shook the bottle, urging, "Hurry up, or it’ll lose its effectiveness."

Gu Yanshen’s Adam’s apple bobbed vehemently.

He didn’t speak or move, but simply looked at her with those unfathomably deep eyes.

"Not taking it off?" Lin Wanyi seemed to lose patience, leaning closer until a mere hand’s width separated their faces.

She lowered her voice, the warm breath almost brushing against his ear, carrying a sly threat.

"If you don’t take it off, then... I’ll undress you myself?"

Before the words were finished, the man spun around sharply, turning his back to her as if scalded.

It was a gesture of concession.

Lin Wanyi smiled triumphantly.

She wasted no time, pouring some of the clear liquid from the bottle into her palm, then applied it directly to the man’s back, which was strong and brimming with unrestrained tension.

Cool liquid and soft hands simultaneously touched the man’s burning, sturdy skin.

"Sizzle—"

It was akin to the sound of a branding iron being plunged into cold water.

Gu Yanshen’s tall figure stiffened like iron the moment her hand made contact.